Not an old man, not yet snoring
Oct. 25th, 2005 04:35 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
gerisullivanSomewhere it's been written for this year that if it's still October, it must also still be raining. And so it is. It's raining, it's pouring.
I suppose I should be counting my lucky stars. The ones lurking behind the rain-sodden clouds blocking the view, that is. Much though the snowy white fingers on the map of "SUPERSTORM 2005" look to be touching down near Wales, my forecast calls for temperatures to remain a few degrees above freezing even at their lowest, so I don't expect to be dealing with white stuff before the week ends. Fingers crossed!
On Monday afternoon, I hauled 100 shovels full of dirt and gravel back up my driveway in anticipation of the rain that's now falling. That worked out to 9 or 10 wheelbarrow loads, much though it felt like 20. I figure I redistributed something around 1000 pounds of driveway before staggering back into the house in exhaustion. Of course, the 14 inches of rain that have already fallen this month have washed away more like five times that amount and then some. Water is amazing stuff. Yes, I knew that. Yes, I'm still inordinately pleased and relieved that the water is staying outside rather than seeping in anywhere. (Anywhere I've found so far, anyway. And I have been spot-checking. The back gutter has come loose, which isn't so good, but all else looks fine. Sure am glad I installed those downspout extenders this summer.) But enough already, eh?
I guess not. The forecast is for more rain, winds, snow, flooding, and more, mostly involving power outages. Weather like this leaves me very glad that my daily commute is one flight of stairs long. Dry stairs. Here's hoping they stay that way, and that yours do, too!
I suppose I should be counting my lucky stars. The ones lurking behind the rain-sodden clouds blocking the view, that is. Much though the snowy white fingers on the map of "SUPERSTORM 2005" look to be touching down near Wales, my forecast calls for temperatures to remain a few degrees above freezing even at their lowest, so I don't expect to be dealing with white stuff before the week ends. Fingers crossed!
On Monday afternoon, I hauled 100 shovels full of dirt and gravel back up my driveway in anticipation of the rain that's now falling. That worked out to 9 or 10 wheelbarrow loads, much though it felt like 20. I figure I redistributed something around 1000 pounds of driveway before staggering back into the house in exhaustion. Of course, the 14 inches of rain that have already fallen this month have washed away more like five times that amount and then some. Water is amazing stuff. Yes, I knew that. Yes, I'm still inordinately pleased and relieved that the water is staying outside rather than seeping in anywhere. (Anywhere I've found so far, anyway. And I have been spot-checking. The back gutter has come loose, which isn't so good, but all else looks fine. Sure am glad I installed those downspout extenders this summer.) But enough already, eh?
I guess not. The forecast is for more rain, winds, snow, flooding, and more, mostly involving power outages. Weather like this leaves me very glad that my daily commute is one flight of stairs long. Dry stairs. Here's hoping they stay that way, and that yours do, too!
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WoW
Date: 2005-10-25 11:48 am (UTC)Stay dry.
Wish I were there....
Date: 2005-10-25 01:38 pm (UTC)And here in Mississippi we've had no rain in over a month and there have been "fire alerts" and such. We need some rain.
Oh and make sure you have supplies for power outages. I hope you have a spare generator. After we lost power for almost a week after Katrina, our neighbor's generator drew us all from miles around (the only sound), as if he were the pied-piper. While we were there people traipsed in and out with coffeemakers and watched TV news, while we drank hot tea and enjoyed the fan (it was so hot!). Best of all, his refrigerator kept running. Another useful item is those little power-packs that can provide light, recharge your car battery, run a small appliance and a couple more things.
But here's hoping you need none of that.
Re: Wish I were there....
Date: 2005-10-25 06:54 pm (UTC)I don't have a spare generator. I have a car that will take me to the homes of friends with electricity. That doesn't protect the house from freezing pipes, and the oil furnace has an electronic igniter, so I'm at risk there. The power has been flaking in and out more this month than in the previous 16 months combined, but the longest outage so was less than a minute. The only bother so far has been resetting clocks, again...and again and again.
We've had one "real" power outage since I moved here. Even then, the power came back on before the UPS powering my cable modem, router, and computers ran out of juice.
Yes, I'm probably speaking all too soon. Last night when I toddled up to bed, I found a spot where the chimney is leaking into the upstairs fireplace. Drip. Drip. Drip. The cap was still in place last I noticed...must remember to look again the next time I'm out.
Stuff's flying sideways outside my windows right now. I'm staying in for the rest of the afternoon!
Odd thing...
Date: 2005-10-26 02:44 pm (UTC)You do seem your usual extraordinarily motivated self though, whilst still knowing your boundaries. Hmm, boundaries, um... something I need work on.
Sounds like maybe you don’t need a generator, but at least you have a (leaky) fireplace, which means heat and a cooking area, should the worst happen.
Oh and some clocks have a battery backup that only kicks in when power is lost. Might be worth the investment, for the irritation factor alone.
One last thing -- why choose a stinging sea creature as an icon? Artistic reasons?
Re: Odd thing...
Date: 2005-10-27 01:26 am (UTC)Most of my clocks are battery powered -- the ones I keep having to reset are on the stove and microwave. Fortunately, it's relatively easy to do so.
As for your icon question, there are a lot of answers. Up on the surface, it's the picture I've taken most recently that I'm happiest with. A bit further down, I am fascinated by jellyfish and could happily watch them move for hours on end. There's a grace, a beauty, that they embody. A delicacy, yet not without defenses, as your observation about their stinging nature shows. The way they flow speaks to my sense of design. Going much further than I'd previously given thought to, they reflect both the beauty of life and its sting. I only hope that life itself isn't always quite so brainless....
Re: Odd thing...
Date: 2005-10-27 02:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-25 04:33 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-27 02:27 am (UTC)